One MLB Insider Thinks the Padres Will Trade Their Unhittable Closer — Here’s Why

Mason Miller throws 102 mph with a slider that makes hitters look silly. He’s got a 0.89 ERA and 25 saves. He’s also 27 years old, under team control for years, and exactly the kind of player a rebuilding team builds around. So why would the San Diego Padres trade him?

Because they’re stuck in the worst kind of baseball purgatory: too good to blow it up, not good enough to feel safe.

The Padres are 49-50, sitting 13.5 games back of the Dodgers in the NL West. But they’re only 2.5 games out of a Wild Card spot. That’s the kind of math that keeps front office people up at night. Do you sell? Do you buy? Do you do some weird in-between thing and hope nobody notices?

According to MLB insider Bob Nightengale, San Diego is leaning toward the weird in-between thing — and it starts with moving Miller.

“I think they’re going to trade Mason Miller,” Nightengale said on Foul Territory. “And then get some starting pitching that way and some prospects.”

That doesn’t sound like a team punting on 2024. It sounds like a team trying to restock without fully punting. Trade the closer, who brings back a haul, and use those assets to fill holes elsewhere. Specifically, the rotation. The Padres need arms, and Miller might be the ticket to getting them.

Miller has been borderline untouchable this season. He’s struck out 66 batters in 40 innings. His stuff is so good that scouts honestly run out of adjectives. Any contender would want him in the ninth inning. And the Padres know that. Which is why the return would have to be significant.

But here’s the thing: trading a cost-controlled star reliever is a gamble. Miller isn’t a rental. He’s not expensive. He’s the kind of player you keep and win with. But the Padres have already shown they’re willing to make uncomfortable moves. They let Juan Soto walk. They dealt Trent Grisham. They’re not sentimental.

Still, there’s no guarantee this happens. The Padres haven’t signaled anything publicly. Nightengale’s prediction is just that — a prediction. But it’s one that makes sense if you look at the roster. This team needs more than one piece. Miller can get them two or three.

The Padres play the Atlanta Braves on Monday night. First pitch at 7:15 p.m. EST. And somewhere in the front office, A.J. Preller is probably on the phone. Because that’s what he does in July.